Larry Altman

Staff Writer

Recent articles

Fires

David Cline was “just one of those kids you remember,” one of his former teachers said Monday.Excelling in music and sports and earning a 4.0 grade-point average, Cline was quickly recalled by those who knew him at Santa Monica High School.“He was one of the brightest kids I’ve ever taught,” said Amy Chapman, who taught Cline in her English 10 Honors class. “Sharp. Funny. Kind. Kind of like a Renaissance man.”News that...

Explosions

An underground utility vault blast displaced a manhole cover Tuesday, knocking out power and closing down a busy route through Westchester to Los Angeles International Airport.The electrical equipment failure occurred at 11:30 a.m. in the same area where similar problems occurred in 2012 and in 2008, when a buildup of gas in a building exploded and killed a Los Angeles firefighter.A small amount of smoke spewed from the displaced manhole cover on Sepulveda Boulevard south of La...

Industrial fires

A fire broke out Tuesday at the troubled PBF Energy-owned refinery in Torrance, the latest in a series of incidents that have spawned a network of activists concerned about the plant’s safety.Twenty-four firefighters responded about 4:20 p.m. to the Torrance Refining Co. plant at Crenshaw Boulevard and 190th Street, Torrance fire Capt. Bob Millea said.Three employees were evaluated, but no one was sent to hospitals, the city of Torrance said in an alert to...

Obituaries

Jake Piasecki used to tell his disciples that “four wheels and a piece of wood will set you free.”Known for his high aerials and tricks, the pro skateboarder from the South Bay developed a nationwide following, products bearing his name, and admirers who tried to emulate him.• VIDEO: Jake Piasecki carves up an empty swimming...

Crime

Investigators digging up a San Luis Obispo hillside in search of a female student last seen 20 years ago with a man now living in San Pedro have discovered “remains” that will be analyzed to see if they are human or animal and related to her disappearance, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said...

Breaking News

MMA fighter Marcus Kowal sobbed as he spoke of his 15-month-old son’s legacy, saving the lives of other children in need of his organs.Kowal and his wife, Mishel Eder, planned to stand next to their son Liam Tuesday afternoon at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, offering their final good-byes as doctors turn off life support machines and take his organs for transplant.“Liam’s life will allow another eight to nine children to live,” Kowal said,...

Hit-and-run

MMA fighter and commentator Marcus Kowal has announced that it was his 15-month-old son struck in his stroller in a Hawthorne crosswalk by an alleged drunken driver, and that the boy did not survive.Responding to a spate of well-wishes from his fans and other fighters on Twitter and Facebook, Kowal and Mishel Eder revealed Sunday night that...

Driving under the influence

Former President Bill Clinton’s half-brother, Roger Clinton, was ordered Friday to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or enroll in a longer-term alcohol education program while free on bail following a driving-under-the-influence arrest in Redondo Beach.Roger Clinton, 60, whose sister-in-law is Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, was not required to attend his arraignment in Torrance court on

Burglary

Ten men and two women have been formally charged for their alleged roles in a burglary ring that victimized thousands of residents in Torrance and across Southern California, reaping huge profits for their South Los Angeles gang, prosecutors said Tuesday.The defendants, reputed members or associates of the East Coast Crips...

Drug-related crime

Two doctors have been charged with selling prescriptions for powerful drugs to gang members who allegedly bought them with profits from thousands of residential burglaries committed in the South Bay and across Southern California, prosecutors said Monday.Drs. Sonny Oparah, 75, of Long Beach and Edward Ridgill, 64, of Ventura...